


TTA: Caught

by KatsInSpace



Series: Time and Time Again [4]
Category: White Collar
Genre: M/M, alternative universe, au where keller wasn't a criminal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-20
Updated: 2016-08-20
Packaged: 2018-08-10 00:21:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7822990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatsInSpace/pseuds/KatsInSpace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After months with Neal and Mozzie, Matthew gets used to being comfortable and careful and on the run. But he soon learns that he shouldn't get too lax.</p>
            </blockquote>





	TTA: Caught

**Author's Note:**

> AU where Matthew Keller wasn't a criminal and stayed in Scotland. And I don't really know his history so I'm kind of making it up. Comes after Time and Time Again. The apartment is different from the one in the show.

Matthew woke up early in the morning, barely registering Neal climbing out of bed.

“Go back to sleep Mattie,” he heard Neal mumble as a kiss is pressed against his head. He closes his eyes, falling back to sleep, unsure if it had been real or just a dream.

The next time he wakes, it's to an empty bed. He lifts himself up, looking around for where Neal could have gone. He didn't see Neal in their bedroom, nor was the light on in the bathroom. So he must have been somewhere else.

Matthew pushes himself up to get out of bed. He freshens up, getting ready for the day. He's pulling on a shirt as he exits his room. He walks down the hall, hearing soft voices. He quietly approaches and stops right before the corner.

“You can't trust him,” Mozzie scolded in a soft voice. “He's called Stan the Snitch for a reason!”

“I need to do this Moz,” Neal replied in the same volume.

“I still don't understand why. You have Matthew now, who _cares_ about Kate?”

Matthew had never heard of someone named Kate. But from just those few sentences, he could tell that Kate was Neal's ex.

“There's no doubt that I love him,” Neal stated. “But I just need some closure for what happened.”

There's silence. Matthew is about to reveal himself when Mozzie speaks again.

“You're still in love with her,” came Mozzie's soft and shocked reply.

Matthew tensed up. He knew Neal loved him, he even said it himself. But he also loved his ex. Neal not replying is pretty much a “yes” and he knows it. He would have thought that was why Neal kept pursuing him, to get over her, but he knew that wasn't it.

Instead of Neal's voice, he only heard a soft click. It was silent for awhile except for Mozzie's sigh.

“He's gone, you can come out now.”

Matthew doesn't even hesitate, he knew it was useless to try and pretend.

“You're good but not _that_ good,” Mozzie commented, taking a seat at their island kitchen. “So? What do you think? About Neal.”

“I know Neal has feelings for me,” he replied, taking a seat in front of him. “He wouldn't risk prison for just anyone.”

Matthew pauses, realizing what he just said. While Neal risked prison time for constantly coming back for him, he's also risking time for going back to her.

Mozzie sighs. “I know that look,” he says with a defeated tone. “You're not planning on leaving him again, are you?”

Matthew doesn't say anything, just standing to get himself a drink.

“Neal _does_ love you,” Mozzie reminded him.

“I heard,” he mumbled before taking a drink. He didn't really want to talk about it. He knew Mozzie was trying to help but he'd rather not talk about it all together.

-.-Time and Time Again-.-

Matthew was starting to get worried. It had been awhile since Neal contacted him. He would have thought, since it was just a trip, that Neal would call him. Clearly not though, since it was complete silence ever since Neal had left a few days ago.

Even Mozzie hadn’t dropped by since.

“Uh Matthew?”

He stopped, looking up from his book in the living room. He sees Mozzie standing there, looking very uncomfortable.

“Moz?”

“Hey Matthew,” he greeted, approaching him. He parted his lips about to say something, but immediately shuts his mouth.

“What is it Mozzie?”

“It's uh, it's Neal.”

Matthew couldn't help but release a sigh of release. After hearing nothing of Neal, he was getting more and more agitated each day. “What about Neal? Where is he?”

“Neal's in jail-”

Matthew went rigid once again.

“-and his court hearing is in a few days.”

-.-Time and Time Again-.-

Matthew sat in the audience. Mozzie didn't want to go with him, claimed that he couldn't change anything anymore so there was no point – but it was mostly due to not wanting to be in the system, Matthew himself didn't really mind though.

Everyone in the court listened intensely to the lawyers arguing both sides. Despite how hard they tried, Neal's lawyer, a public attorney, had been losing. Matthew knew Neal didn't have a chance of going free but still couldn't help but be disappointed. On the bright side though, they only managed to get him on one thing and not the many others he was accused of.

But still, he'd be in prison for four years.

Matthew watched helplessly as Neal was taken away in handcuffs. He stared at him with eyes, knowing it'd be a long time before they were able to wake up next to each other again. Neal glanced back at Matthew one last time before he was pushed out the doors.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Criticism welcome. My tumblr is ElectronicSpace.  
> Let me know if you want to see something specific in this AU.


End file.
